Wilderness Safaris and the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) have signed an agreement aimed at expanding opportunities for citizen-owned businesses within Botswana’s tourism industry.
The memorandum of agreement establishes a Citizen Economic Empowerment Programme that combines enterprise development, mentorship, supplier readiness and market access for small, medium and micro enterprises seeking to participate in the country’s tourism value chain.
The partnership is the latest stage in an initiative that Wilderness began in 2024 with the launch of its Local Supplier Expo. The event was designed to connect citizen-owned businesses with procurement opportunities within one of Botswana’s largest tourism operators.
Tourism remains one of Botswana’s largest employers, supporting more than 50,500 jobs and accounting for 6.7% of national employment. The initiative also aligns with the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme, which seeks to promote economic diversification, localisation and private-sector-led growth.
More than 110 citizen-owned enterprises participated in the first year of the programme, resulting in contracts worth over P6.3m. According to Wilderness, the experience highlighted both the demand for commercial opportunities and the obstacles facing local businesses.
One of the most frequently cited constraints was access to finance. In response, Wilderness and Stanbic Bank Botswana signed an agreement in 2025 that enabled selected suppliers to obtain financing linked to confirmed procurement opportunities.
The new partnership with LEA targets another challenge: access to sustainable markets.
Joe Matome, caretaker managing director of Wilderness Botswana, described the agreement as part of a broader strategy rather than a stand-alone initiative.
“Today’s agreement with LEA represents the next logical step,” he said.
“Meaningful transformation happens one deliberate step at a time. We began by creating opportunities through our Local Supplier Expo. We then worked with Stanbic Bank Botswana to improve access to finance. Today, together with LEA, we are investing in the capabilities that allow businesses to grow sustainably.”
Tourism remains one of Botswana’s largest employers, supporting more than 50,500 jobs and accounting for 6.7% of national employment. The initiative also aligns with the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme, which seeks to promote economic diversification, localisation and private-sector-led growth.
Under the agreement, Wilderness and LEA will identify businesses with growth potential and provide training, mentorship, governance support and supplier-development programmes. The partners also plan to improve integration between local enterprises and the tourism and hospitality supply chain.
Implementation will be overseen by a joint committee responsible for monitoring progress and coordinating activities.
Thato V. Jensen, LEA’s caretaker chief executive, said the partnership links enterprise development support with commercial opportunities.
“This partnership reflects what is possible when enterprise development is matched with genuine market opportunity,” he said.
“Through this collaboration with Wilderness, we are connecting that support to real commercial demand, creating a practical pathway for businesses to participate meaningfully in Botswana’s tourism value chain.”
For Wilderness, local enterprise development has become an increasingly important element of its business model. The company says it has spent more than P1.8bn on local procurement over the past decade, paid more than P1.2bn in wages to around 1,000 citizen employees and contributed more than P305m in concession fees to government and local communities.
Matome said the success of the initiative would ultimately be judged by its economic impact rather than by the agreement itself.
“Ultimately, success will not be measured by the agreements we sign today. It will be measured by the businesses that grow, the jobs that are created and the communities that become stronger because more Batswana are participating in – and benefiting from – the tourism economy,” he said.
The agreement takes effect immediately and establishes a five-year framework for cooperation between the two organisations.
